Conor McGregor says Meryl Streep’s negative comments motivated his performance in Road House

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Conor McGregor has admitted that Meryl Streep’s negative take on mixed martial arts motivated him to give his best performance in Prime Video’s forthcoming movie, Road House. In 2017, while accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes, the Devil Wears Prada actor, then 67, declared: “Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners and if we kick them all out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.” Streep’s comments at the time caused outrage among several high-profile fighters and prominent figures linked with the sport. “It’s not for somebody to make a mistake; it’s real artistry for those who do what we do, so I came in with maybe a little chip on my shoulder and wanting to represent my sport and my art, give my best in this arena.” open image in gallery Conor McGregor and Meryl Streep In the film, McGregor plays a character named Knox opposite Jake Gyllenhaal’s ex-UFC fighter Dalton, who takes a job as a bouncer at a rowdy bar in the Florida Keys. “My whole arm swelled up, and it ended up being staph.” open image in gallery Conor McGregor and Jake Gyllenhaal at the ‘Road House’ New York premiere Patrick Swayze originated the role of Dalton in director Rowdy Herrington’s 1989 Road House.